You guys! It’s finally time for the big reveal of my piece for the Re-Love project.

Before I get into all the juicy after pics, I need to wrap up the final progress stage.

I was originally planning to just use a clear varnish to keep the authentic timber colour, but the damage was worse than first thought. To even out the discolouration I used the Timber Primer mixed with a Walnut stain.

I didn’t want it as dark as a true walnut shade so I just used a small amount of stain and gradually built up the colour with a few coats until it was looking lovely and even.

Granted the sides (shown here with one coat of stain) were not nearly as damaged as the top (shown unstained), but you can see the difference that the stain made.

I continued with the rest of the piece, including the drawers. Subsequent coats can be applied wet-on-wet which cut down on the need for drying time, which was handy.

I said goodbye to the pale green paint with a few coats of Dulux One-Step, an all-in-one primer and topcoat.

After a light sand, I applied two coats of Clear Varnish (Satin) which really brought out the rich colour.

To finish, I cut the wallpaper to size, sprayed it with water and adhered it to the drawer insides and the back of the shelving. After a quick clean, the glass shelf and doors went back in.

And here she is now!

Let’s all just agree to ignore the half-painted skirting boards and tablecloth-covering-heinous-carpet situation happening in the scene and look at that gorgeous timber instead. The half-finished lounge was the only remotely suitable photo shoot location.

It’s quite a change from the honey-coloured sideboard with warped veneer and bits of sticky tape along the edges! I’ve tried to restore it in a way that was faithful to its origins while appealing to a new buyer.

Huge thanks to Feast Watson for having me on board this year’s Re-Love project. I love giving new life to neglected furniture so I’ve really enjoyed seeing this come together. I can’t wait to see the rest of the bloggers’ projects revealed, too.

Stick around for the big eBay auction starting on 24th July so you can bid to take one of the pieces home! All the proceeds are going to the Salvos, so get behind this very worthy cause.

As part of the Re-Love project, I and seven other bloggers have donated our time to revamp a piece of furniture using products supplied by Feast Watson. The finished pieces will be auctioned with proceeds going to Salvos Sores. Find out more here.

I’ve been hard at work on my piece for the Re-Love charity auction. Prep-work isn’t as sexy as a before-and-after but it is the most important part of any project, particularly when you’re working to restore timber.

I began by removing all the added-on bits, like the glass doors and shelf, felt drawer liner the and sticky tape that surrounded the back edges.

I didn’t realise when I bought it (it was so convincing!) but the piece is actually veneer, which I’ve never worked with before. It takes some special care as it’s more delicate than solid timber.

On the areas where the veneer had lifted up, I used a wood glue with a house brick on top of a towel to dry it flat overnight.

The whole piece is really dinged-up, especially the top surface which had water damage and flaking varnish, so I gave it a really good sand, using the coarsest grit that I thought the veneer could handle.

Next up was filling. The Intergrain Woodblend filler is really thick (more like clay than putty) but it’s easy to work with and filled holes with wood colour.

Because it’s so thick and pliable I was even able to use it to mould a replacement bit of handle that had chipped off.

Once dry, I sanded again, this time using a finer grit.

As they say, things look worse before they look better and this mess of putty and sanding dust proves that rule.

Now that the prep is complete, his weekend I’m working on the fun part of bringing the timber back to life and adding the awesome wallpaper lining.

As part of the Re-Love project, I and seven other bloggers have donated our time to revamp a piece of furniture using products supplied by Feast Watson. The finished pieces will be auctioned with proceeds going to Salvos Sores. Find out more here.

This blog has given me so much over the last few years so giving back is something I’m increasingly conscious of.

The perfect opportunity to do so when Feast Watson (the folks who I worked with on my office makeover) got in touch about a charity collaboration. They’re chipping in a furniture allowance and some of their woodcare products and the eight participating bloggers revamp their chosen secondhand piece. The furniture will be auctioned off on eBay with all the proceeds going to the Salvo’s. How awesome is that?

I’ve scored this mid-century sideboard which has great bones but has definitely seen better days. I’m going to restore it to its former glory, with the addition of this funky wallpaper.

As promised, here is the visual take on the lounge floorplan that I shared last week.

We’ve gone for Dulux ‘White Duck ‘ for the walls, a lovely soft warm grey that will complement the feature stone wall. It’s the same colour we used in our former office but this time we’ll be using it at full- instead of quarter-strength.

I love our existing Freedom sofa (so big and comfy!) but I suspect it may look a little lost against the similarly-toned stone wall. Still, I’m finding myself craving calming interiors so perhaps I’ll end up loving the neutral look? Failing that, both of us are smitten with the teal sofa (also Freedom).

More critical is the entertainment unit. I really dislike the el-cheapo flatpack beast of a thing we currently have. The Man and I have agreed to get rid of the vast majority of our CDs and DVDs (we’ve already gone digital but haven’t dealt with the physical copies yet) so this will give us much more flexibility in terms of finding a more compact and attractive unit.

To be honest I haven’t given much thought to the colours in this room, let alone the accessories. Once we’ve finished all surfaces (walls, trim, floors) we’ll set up our existing furniture and feature artwork and let the room evolve from there.

We’re going to be painting the lounge this weekend (yay?) so I’ve been thinking about how the finished room is going to work. (Here is what it looked like before and in progress.)

As you can seen in the floorplan, it’s a very big, long room with doors through to the dining room, living room and front yard. There are so many options with a versatile space like this, but it still posed a few challenges.

We’ve decided to divide it into three zones: lounge/TV zone at one end, games zone at the other and a mini library zone in between.

I initially wanted our huge painting to hang above the pool table so it could be a striking feature visible from the dining room and entryway, but in truth it’s such a bold and colourful piece it’s actually really hard to decorate around. Instead, we’ve decided to give it its own wall across from the library area.

The other dilemma was the arrangement of the lounge area. In such a big room, you would think we’d have no trouble arranging the furniture in any number of successful layouts. But we were dealing with a beautiful stone wall that we didn’t want to put any holes in to mount the TV, another entire wall being a glass sliding door and owning a very large sofa and entertainment unit. Couple that with my desire to maximise the seating (we entertain a lot) and have it work for both conversation and TV watching and it was surprisingly tricky.

I love second hand shopping. When we need a new piece of furniture the first play in my game plan is generally to look for something pre-loved. You can find some great bargains – certainly a big plus when you’re on a decorating budget – but what I really love is layering our home’s interior with pieces with character and history.

While I sometimes visit local second hand shops in person, you can’t beat browsing Quicksales from the comfort of your couch in your trackies, glass of wine in hand, amiright? My idea of a good Friday night.

Our first home was dotted with pre-loved furniture that have now become favourites. The only reason we didn’t have more is that we literally ran out of room for more! Happily, I can now indulge my vintage shopping desire again as we furnish our new (much bigger) home. Yippee!

As I compile my furniture shopping list (mid-century entertainment unit… extra seating for the lounge… oo and how ‘bout a cute console for the entry?) here is my approach for finding the perfect pre-owned pieces for your home.

Know what you want

Going into shopping blind is a recipe for ending up with something that doesn’t work for your home, taste or lifestyle. Decide exactly where in your home this piece will live, consider what will fit with the overall style of the room and measure, measure, measure!

…But have an open mind

Wait, isn’t that contradicting the previous tip? Nope, what I mean is that while the right size and practicality of the piece are non-negotiables, if you have an open mind in terms of the style you could end up with a piece that is a surprising feature for your room. If you only searched for chairs for your dining table, you might never have discovered the incredible antique church pew that would work perfectly instead.

Imagine if

Similarly, have a second glance at items you may have passed over due to condition or colour. That worn armchair would look fab with new upholstery and that timber dresser just needs a good sand and refinish. It’s amazing what a little TLC can do!

Cut some slack

Remember the sellers are just your average person down the street, so don’t be expecting catalogue-quality photography. But by all means, if the photo is out of focus or has inaccurate colouring, just politely ask for a better photo or go and take a look at it in person.

Ask questions

If a seller hasn’t listed an important detail such as the dimensions, simply get in touch with them to clarify. There’s no sense in schlepping across town only to find the entertainment unit will obstruct your doorway.

Potay-to, potah-to

Before you’ve given up hope of finding that retro dresser (zero search results, what?) try a few synonyms. Think: mid-century buffet, 60s sideboard… you get the idea.

Check seller profile

Have a look at the user reviews before meeting anyone in person so you can buy with confidence. Also check out their other items, as chances are they’re selling more than one item. You could buy a few things at once to save some driving… and maybe even negotiate a better deal.

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There’s something so rewarding about giving a new home to an unwanted item, particularly if you restore it to its former glory or put your own twist on it. It’s an environmentally- and budget-friendly way of creating a home that’s uniquely yours.

I’ve shown some of our favourite pre-loved furniture throughout the post. Now, tell me what are your most treasured second hand pieces?

To help me get through the monotony of working on the kitchen renovation day after day, I’m dreaming about the fun things like shopping for bar stools. No seriously, I had an actual dream about bar stools last night.

Here is a visual representation of what was floating around in my unconscious.

I dig colourful stools but we have a some small appliances and accessories that are red – I don’t want to reinforce the red (not loving it anymore) nor do I want to introduce a colour into the palette. So neutral it is.

I was thinking something industrial but worried it would be too cold since we’re already having stark white cabinetry and concrete counters. Timber would be the natural choice to add in some texture and warmth but the only timber stool I loved (#4) is going to blow the budget.

The Man is super keen on the Tolix (in fact even suggested without my input!) and I found a ridiculously black and timber replica (#6) that ticks our boxes. They’re so everywhere though which has me second-guessing the choice.

I’ve been busy prepping the bathroom for its much-deserved makeover. To while away the hours painting, I’ve been mentally forming an image of what I want the end result to look like.

It will mostly be white, but I want to add some texture and depth using natural materials in shades of greige. Naturally, no room in my house can escape some colour, so I’m adding pops of green to tie in with the adjacent stairwell/landing walls.

The freestanding unit will be perfect for extra storage and the baskets will be great for spare toilet rolls and such. I’ve also looked outside the bathroom aisle for pretty storage (like the hurricane vases for cotton balls and makeup brushes) and decor such as the faux orchid and lantern.

I’ll be back later in the month to show you how I’ll be bringing this inspiration to life!